RapidFire
by Cherri Shadows
Summary: Johnny's childhood best friend, Harriet Appleby, joins the crew on their mission to space only to gain her own special powers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel etc.**

**Just to let you know, this is my first fan fiction so constructive criticism will help. Thanks.  
**

Rapid-fire

Chapter One:

Harriet Appleby rushed around her apartment, doing some last minute packing as there was a knock at her door. She sprinted in the direction of the door but tripped over one of the three back packs that lay next to it, and landed face down on the floor. She blew her midnight blue hair out of her face as the door opened to reveal a man in a leather jacket, jeans and sunglasses. His hair was short blond/brown and a smirk was plastered on his face. Harriet glared at him and sat up.

"You know, you didn't have to knock if you had your key!" she snapped as he shut the door behind him.

"I know," said the man, "but I just _love_ winding you up!"

Harriet stood up threateningly, letting her short temper take over, "Johnny Storm -"

"Whoa," said the man, Johnny, with his hands up in defence, "calm down Sparky."

"Sparky is a dog's name," stated Harriet, "Do I look like a dog to you?"

Johnny raised an eyebrow, "Is that a trick question?"

Harriet growled and picked up one of the backpacks kicking the other two towards Johnny.

"Just for that, _you_ can carry your bags downstairs!"

Harriet walked out of her apartment, Johnny following close behind struggling with his two bags and complaining under his breath. Harriet and Johnny had known each other since they were twelve. They were the biggest trouble makers around throughout high school and never lost contact afterwards. In fact they shared the apartment, though Johnny was rarely there. He was usually out with some girls he had met the previous night. That was the one thing Harriet hated about her best friend Johnny – that he saw himself as a 'ladies man' and the fact that all girls, including herself at times, fall for his amazing smile and immature antics. It got worse when he had found out that she had had a crush on him at the age of 15. Now they were both in their early twenties and he still hadn't forgotten that embarrassing day when he had 'accidently' stumbled across her open diary under her pillow.

* * *

The two had arrived at the car park and loaded the bags into a bright yellow Ferrari, which belonged to Harriet.

"Why is Victor Von Dork inviting me on this space trip anyway?" asked Harriet, her hatred for Von Doom clearly being displayed.

"I asked him too," smiled Johnny, "you need a break; you're always cooped up in the apartment on your own. You could do with a change of scenery."

"Oh I see so rather than a night out at one of the many clubs you go to on a daily basis, you thought 'let's take Harriet off the planet completely'!" laughed Harriet as Johnny shrugged his shoulders, "Thanks for bringing me along, seriously."

Johnny winked at her and mounted his motorbike whilst Harriet settled down in her car. Then he led the way to Von Doom Industries. Harriet kept a close eye on Johnny who had clearly forgotten that he was leading the way, as he kept weaving between other cars and speeding past the quickly changing traffic lights.

* * *

Eventually, they came to a deserted strip of road, at the end of which stood Von Doom Industries: a cluster of tall, modern buildings that seemed slightly threatening. Johnny slowed down slightly so that his bike was level with Harriet's car. Harriet hated when he did that.

"Hey watch the paint!" she yelled making sure that he kept his distance from her car door as they drove slowly along the road.

Johnny leaned down next to her ear his hot breath sending shivers down her spine, "Race you!"

Harriet quickly recovered from her dreamy moment, smirked and sped ahead, leaving an unprepared Johnny to clumsily race after her.

* * *

**Chapter 2 will be out as soon as possible.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel etc.**

**Thank-you to _penny3_ and _Shibo26_ for the reviews.  
**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 2:

Harriet changed into her space suit as Sue entered the changing room. They both squealed and hugged each other. Sue was like a big sister to her. She had kept an eye on her and Johnny whilst they were growing up, trying to keep them out of trouble and failing miserably.

"How are you, I feel like I haven't seen you in years!" said Sue picking up the second layer of space suits and leading Harriet to the guys' changing room.

"I've been great!" said Harriet, "Sorry to hear about you and Reed though."

"Oh don't be, I'm glad that we broke up. He was way too focused on his work!" sighed Sue, "If it's not science, he's not interested. Watch, I'll show you."

She waltzed into the boys changing room, answering a question that Ben had just asked and walked right up to Reed. Harriet peeked round the corner as Reed approached Sue in amazement. For a moment, Harriet thought that Reed was going to compliment Sue. But then he opened his mouth.

"Wow! Fantastic!" he exclaimed, "A material made from self-regulating unstable molecules."

Sue looked back at Harriet with an 'I-told-you-so' look on her face, whilst Harriet shook her head and walked in, muttering "Geek!" under her breath. She liked Reed and thought he was a great guy for Sue, but sometimes he could just be so oblivious and Sue was right about him and his work. Both Harriet, along with Johnny, had witnessed Sue and Reed's relationship deteriorate through the years but it was clear that they both had strong feelings for each other.

Johnny turned to look at Harriet and his jaw dropped. Harriet raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Johnny stood up and circled around her like a vulture, "You-you look like a girl!"

Harriet frowned and sighed as Johnny laughed at her reaction.

"No, seriously Harri," he said as he calmed down, "you look great."

"Thank-you Johnny," replied Harriet looking him up and down, "and you look like a super-hero."

Johnny smirked and took a photo of himself, "Yeah I'm super-hot!"

'_Yes you are!'_ thought Harriet.

"Hey Harri! Long time no see!" laughed Ben walking over to hug Harriet.

Harriet smiled and hugged her close friend. They had met whilst Reed and Sue were dating and though they weren't as close as her and Johnny, they got on really well, despite the fact that she loved to tease Ben as much as Johnny did at times. They hadn't seen each other for about a year and Harriet had to admit that it was great to be reunited with the friends she had gained over the years. Just then, the atmosphere shifted and in walked Victor Von Doom. He smiled at everyone but Harriet.

"Miss Appleby," he said in a dull tone, "how nice to see you again."

"Yes, how wonderful it is for us to be in each other's presence once again." she replied in the same manner.

They had met a few times before when Harriet was visiting Sue at work and Harriet had grown to dislike him very quickly. Von Doom treated her as an inferior person, mainly because she was an artist rather than a scientist and he was obsessing over Sue. Not that she was jealous or anything. All he was in Harriet's eyes was a stuck-up version of Reed. Von Doom smiled a fake smile and told everyone to get ready quickly as they would be lifting off soon.

* * *

Harriet followed Ben and Johnny through the station after arriving in space, having no idea what she was supposed to be doing to help. Johnny had just put Ben into the chamber after a long conversation about Reed and Sue and was now pressing a bunch of buttons. Harriet watched him closely, admiring how smart he could be, even though he was so immature and childish most of the time. He looked up at her and smirked.

"Admiring the view?" he asked as she frowned at his sudden change of character, "No it's fine. No girl can resist my cute smile and immense hotness."

Harriet sighed, shook her head, "Does it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"When your head swells to the size of a hot air balloon!"

Johnny folded his arms, "I'm not big-headed! I'm telling the truth!" He smiled revealing his perfect teeth.

Harriet smiled. She had to admit, his smile was cute and he _was_ immensely hot...but she would never tell him that - it would be like the diary episode all over again. They watched each other in silence, a comfortable silence. After a while, Johnny looked down and pushed a few more buttons, peering at Harriet out of the corner of his eye.

He took a deep breath, "I was wondering..."

"Ben you need to get inside now!" shouted the voice of a panicked Reed.

Harriet and Johnny spun around in confusion as Reed came sprinting into the room.

"What's wrong?" asked Harriet.

Johnny pointed outside the window towards the large cloud advancing on Ben.

"Guys I'm not gonna make it." Ben said helplessly.

"Ben you gotta jump. It's the only way!" yelled Johnny.

Harriet pressed her hands against the window and watched Ben leap towards the station. The cloud accelerated and pushed Ben up against the window. Harriet cried out in panic as she watched Ben slide down the window, now unconscious. The cloud burst through the portal, colliding with everyone else. Reed was hit first. Then Johnny. Sue and Harriet got hit at the same time. Harriet shrieked as she felt wind rushing through her hair and Johnny's voice calling out her name. Soon, along with the others, she fell unconscious.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Chapter 3 will be out soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel etc.**

**Thanks to _YuGiOhWierdo01_ and _Shibo26 _for the reviews.  
**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 3:

Harriet felt someone poking her side. All she wanted to do was sleep, but that's impossible when you are locked indoors with Johnny Storm. He couldn't sit still for five minutes. He needed his 'partner-in-crime' to help him wreak havoc within the confines of Von Doom's medical facility.

"Come on, Harri! Wake up!" moaned Johnny, sitting impatiently by Harriet's bed.

Harriet peeked through her semi-closed eyes and groaned. She was never going to get back to sleep now and Johnny knew it.

Johnny poked her again, "Wake up!"

"But that means I've gotta look at your ugly face all day!" giggled Harriet, sliding off the bed.

Johnny glared at her and chased her around the room but failed to catch her. Once she was awake, she was full of energy. Eventually, Harriet's lack of coordination kicked in as she tripped over her own feet. Johnny laughed and helped her up.

"You know you're gonna have to be a little more coordinated when we're snowboarding down that mountain outside your window!" said Johnny.

Harriet sprinted to the window, careful not to fall again, and smiled at the sight of the steep slopes.

"Give me five minutes!" she said rushing to the bathroom to get ready.

Johnny chuckled and prepared to leave. It had barely been a minute and Johnny had just bent down to pick up his snowboard when Harriet sprinted back in the room. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"That was quick!" he stated in surprise.

"No quicker than usual!" smiled Harriet, reaching under her bed to grab her snowboard. She rushed out the door and popped her head back round to see Johnny still standing there.

"Come on slow coach! I want to go snowboarding _before_ global warming takes the mountain hostage!"

Johnny smirked, "You've been watching that environmental programme again haven't you?"

"Hey, this is my true intelligence shining through here! Don't insult me!" said Harriet, dragging

Johnny out the room. They looked down from the helicopter.

* * *

"Harri, you should stay to the right. The left will give you trouble..."

"Get lost Johnny! Last one down has to buy dinner later!" Harriet hopped down and snowboarded down the slope.

She did flips and tricks until Johnny caught up with her. Surprisingly, when it came to snowboarding, her coordination improved. Maybe it was because she knew that she could get seriously injured with just one mistake.

"I can do better!" teased Johnny as he sped up and did a few tricks of his own. Harriet watched him as she noticed flames appearing on his jacket.

"Johnny! You're on fire!" she yelled.

"Thanks Harri, you're pretty good too!"

"No as in burning! Flames! Fire!" shouted Harriet in panic waving her arms around for emphasis.

Johnny looked down at his jacket and lost control. He went flying down the slope and off the edge, bursting into flames. Harriet hopped off her snowboard and sprinted to where Johnny fell. He looked up at her, smiling a goofy smile. His clothes had all burnt off and he was sitting in a small crater in the snow.

"Care to join me?" he asked flirtatiously.

Harriet stared at him in shock. As much as she wanted to join him, she couldn't get over the fact that she had just seen her best friend burst into flames and survive. Johnny looked at her puzzled.

"How did you get down here so fast?" he asked.

"I wasn't _that_ fast!" said Harriet, taking off her jacket and handing it to Johnny, who tied it round his waist and climbed out of the crater, "How did you not get burnt? You were on fire!"

"I don't know! It was cool though right? Maybe it was the whole space thing! Do you reckon we have super-powers?" asked Johnny, excitedly.

Harriet scoffed, "Yeah right! You've been reading too many comics!"

"Did you _not_ just see me burst into flame? And you! You got there like half a second after me! It's like you have super-speed or something!" exclaimed Johnny, "It kind of explains how you got ready so quickly this morning."

Harriet laughed at the idea but considered it for a second, "If I did have super-speed, I should be able to get to the top of the mountain and back to you really quickly, right?"

Johnny nodded and took Harriet's watch. She readied herself and sprinted as fast as she could to the top of the mountain and back. When she got back, Johnny looked at her in amazement.

"That took you less than a second!" he said in shock, almost dropping Harriet's coat from around his waist, "We have to tell the others!"

Harriet nodded excitedly, "Race you!"

Johnny watched her sprint off and frowned at her as he jogged to at least try and keep up with her.

* * *

Harriet dragged Johnny backwards as he burst into the lunch room at the Von Doom medical facility, where Sue and Reed were talking. He seemed to have forgotten that all he was wearing was a pink jacket around his waist.

"Guys! You'll never believe what just happened to us!" exclaimed Johnny.

Sue and Reed both smirked at the sight of Johnny and a red-faced Harriet.

"We can explain..." started Harriet but stopped as Reed put up a hand to silence her.

They left the lunch room.

"It was so cool!" said Harriet, "One second we were snowboarding and the next, Johnny burst into flames and I was sprinting faster than lightning!"

They decide to go to Ben's room to check on him. Johnny was continually lighting his fingers. Harriet got Reed and Sue's attention. They looked round at Johnny and his ignited fingers.

He grinned, "Now picture that, but everywhere!"

Harriet nodded in agreement and then demonstrated her super-speed by running up and down the hallway. Reed and Sue looked grim.

"What?" asked Johnny and Harriet at the same time.

"The cloud has fundamentally altered our DNA." Reed stated.

Johnny and Harriet cheered and gave each other a high-five.

"And Johnny was almost flying! You should have seen it! It was amazing!" said an excited Harriet.

Sue rolled her eyes as Harriet and Johnny began to perform their special abilities over and over again. As they reached Ben's room, Sue snapped at them to stop setting messing around. They put their hands up defensively as Sue went to help Reed open the door. There was a loud crash from inside Ben's room. Harriet became serious and rushed to help the others open the door whilst Johnny stood and watched. The code wasn't working and Harriet stood on her toes so she could try and see Ben through the window. Reed looked at his hand, stretched it under the door and through the other side, successfully unlocking it. He retrieved his hand and stared at everyone.

"That's gross!" stated Johnny, Harriet nodding in agreement.

There was another crash and the four rushed into the room. They saw a massive hole in the wall leading outside and a giant figure that they assumed to be Ben running into the forest.

"I could run after him?" suggested Harriet.

No one answered as Victor walked in.

"What happened in here?"

Sue rushed over to him asking if he was alright. Harriet stopped listening to them and watched as the figure in the forest disappeared. She looked down sadly and Johnny patted her on the back.

"Just find him!" snarled Victor, leaving the room.

"Anybody got any ideas on where the big guy's going?" asked Johnny, his arm around Harriet's shoulders.

Reed noticed a photograph on the floor, "He's going home."

* * *

**So you have finally found out what Harriet's power is...please let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel etc.**

**Thanks for the reviews.  
**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 4:

The four decided to go to Debbie's house the next morning. They all entered the taxi: Reed sat next to the driver and Harriet sat between Sue and Johnny in the back. Harriet hated being cooped up in the middle and was glad when the taxi came a stop.

"What's going on?" asked Sue, climbing out of the car.

Harriet looked around and noticed that they had stopped on a bridge, along with hundreds of other cars. Everyone else got out and followed Sue through a crowd further along the bridge. A bunch of policemen pushed the crowd backwards.

Sue turned to Reed, "What do we do now?"

Reed thought for a second, "We're not going to get past these guys. But you and Harriet could."

Harriet noticed a gap between some of the policemen and nodded at Reed. She sped off through the gap, the police having not noticed her at all, and looked around at what was going on. Eventually she was reunited with the others.

"Find Ben," instructed Reed, running off.

Sue leapt onto a car shouting for Ben. Eventually, they all spotted him. Harriet gasped at the sight of her rocky friend, who looked at her sadly. She was snapped out of her thoughts as an explosion shook the ground and a fire engine swerved towards the scene. Thinking quickly, Harriet ran around the explosion in a large circle, travelling faster and faster, creating a vortex and making most of the fire disappear. With the help of Sue, the fire was contained. The fire engine had begun to fall off the edge of the bridge. Harriet rushed over. She smiled at Ben who was trying to pull the truck back. She leapt onto the truck and sprinted down the ladder to save one of the firemen. The other one slipped, but Reed and his stretching ability managed to save him. Harriet was standing next to Ben again and patted him on the shoulder as he pulled the fire truck to safety.

The police swarmed around them. Harriet frowned and gripped onto Ben's arm, though she wasn't sure that he had noticed. Suddenly the crowd spoke up and cheered for Ben. Meanwhile, Ben was looking into the crowd. Harriet followed his gaze and noticed Debbie pulling off her ring and placing it on the ground. Harriet looked back at a devastated Ben. He walked towards the ring and Reed walked out of the crowd and followed him. Harriet was almost in tears at the sight of Ben's heart breaking like that. Johnny hugged her from behind and Sue walked off to join Reed and Ben.

* * *

The medics were checking up on everyone, though Harriet didn't care about how she was feeling. She sat with Ben, rubbing his back soothingly.

Johnny broke the silence and asked, "Where are your ears?"

Harriet rolled her eyes. Knowing that Johnny didn't mean any harm, she decided to talk to him calmly, like an adult and sat next to him so only he could hear.

"Johnny, Ben's going through a rough time. Maybe you should give him a break okay?"

"All I asked is where his ears are."

Harriet sighed, "Any other time, it would have been funny. But not right now. Just be a little more sensitive."

Johnny nodded and swung his legs back and forth. He was bored and Harriet knew it. Teasing Ben was his only form of entertainment whenever he was stuck in one place for a while. He began to whistle. He was definitely bored. Harriet whistled along with him. They looked at each other and smiled as a policeman entered the tent.

"There are some folks outside that want to talk to you." He said.

"We're not going public with this," stated Reed, "we're scientists, not celebrities."

Everyone watched as the policeman pointed towards the television and explained, "It's too late son. Look. That's what they're calling you: 'The Fantastic Five'."

"Cool!" exclaimed Johnny.

Harriet rushed in front of him, blocking his path.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked in a motherly tone, folding her arms.

"I'm gonna go talk to them! Move please!" said Johnny.

"No," said Sue, "we should think this through."

"That's great! Brainstorm." Johnny said, attempting to get around Harriet.

He stepped to the left, she was already there. He stepped to the right; she was one step ahead of him. She smirked. Johnny sighed. He kissed her quickly on the lips. Harriet froze and her face turned bright red. Johnny smirked, grabbed her hand and rushed towards the excited crowd with Reed, Sue and Ben following.

"Which one of you is the leader?" asked a policeman.

Harriet snapped out of her daze as she heard Johnny say, "That would be me," in what she called his 'grown-up' voice.

The man laughed, "No, seriously."

Sue pushed Reed forwards and Johnny took a step back with Harriet's hand wrapped in his own. Harriet stared down at their hands. There was that feeling again. The feeling she hadn't felt since she was fifteen. Those butterflies. She blushed again and Johnny looked down at her. She refused to meet his gaze and focused on what Reed was saying to the crowd. He explained the mission to the Von Doom space station and the cloud. The journalists in the crowd were exploding with questions.

One asked if Johnny could fly, to which he responded, "Yeah I'm working on it. It's actually really difficult."

"Actually," Sue butted in, "we do not know much more than you do at this point. We'll be going directly to our lab to diagnose our symptoms."

Harriet and Johnny looked up at Sue in shock. She made it sound as if they were diseased!

"It's not a disease!" stated Harriet, stepping forward.

Johnny followed suit and draped his arm around her shoulders, "If having special powers is a disease then, yeah, we got it bad."

"Excuse me," said one of the reporters, pointing at Ben, "that thing doesn't look so fantastic."

Harriet frowned at the man as Reed stepped forward.

"Ben Grimm is a genuine American Hero!"

Johnny stepped in, "What he means is, every team needs a mascot."

Harriet glared at him and elbowed him in the ribs. Johnny didn't take any notice and continued with his little speech.

"A new day is dawning; the day of the Fantastic Five!"

At this point, Reed snapped and explained the facts to the reporters. When he finished, he led everyone back to the tent. Johnny brought Harriet close to him and whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry, I did it again didn't I?"

Harriet nodded, "At least you know when you're being unreasonable. You're getting better."

"You know, you were really quiet over there," said Johnny, smirking, "it wouldn't have anything to do with that kiss would it?"

Harriet shrugged Johnny's shoulder off her own and stormed off, shaking her head.

"I knew it!" Johnny chuckled to himself and attempted to catch up with Harriet.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Chapter 5 will be out really soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel, etc.**

**Sorry this took a while, I couldn't upload the document. But I've decided to give you three chapters today. Enjoy.  
**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 5:

Harriet decided to join Ben in the large police car for the journey to the Baxter building, seeing as Ben had been through a lot and she really didn't feel like being squashed next to Johnny again. When they arrived, they were greeted by cheering crowds. Harriet wasn't in the mood to be dealing with the crowds, so she ran into the building and up the stairs to Reed's apartment and waited for the others. Soon she was joined by Reed, Johnny and Sue.

"Where's Ben?" asked Harriet.

Johnny cleared his throat, "He had a little problem with the elevator. He'll be here soon."

Harriet raised an eyebrow, wondering if Johnny had said something to upset Ben and followed Reed and Sue further into the apartment.

"I have to warn you, it's gonna be a little crowded in some areas." Reed said, showing them his scientific lair. Harriet and Johnny laughed at the strange machines and objects scattered around the apartment.

"So what do you think?" asked Reed.

"It's great," said Harriet, "very, er, science-y."

"I think you might be bringing your work home with you." Johnny stated.

Reed chuckled and showed everyone to their rooms. Of course, Sue's room was close to Reed's. Ben already had a room further down the hall from the other times that he had stayed with Reed. He stopped at another door in a separate corridor and sighed loudly. Harriet and Johnny raised their eyebrows.

"This is your room," Reed said looking at the floor.

"Who're you talking to?" asked Johnny.

Reed pulled a face like he was in pain, "Both of you."

Harriet stared at Reed as if he had just told her that he was going to shave her head. Johnny smirked but changed his expression to one of surprise when he saw Harriet's shocked face.

"There's a queen-sized bed and a camp bed in there, you can decide on who gets what. The bathroom is just down the hall. Make yourselves at home!" Reed said quickly and ran off to his

room.

Johnny opened the door and led Harriet inside. The room was quite big – the two beds were sitting under a large window, a small desk sat between them and there was a wardrobe on either side of the room. The walls were a citrus yellow and the carpet was beige. Harriet sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Johnny, "We share an apartment. It's not _that_ different from sharing a room!"

"Yeah but...you...er...I..." Harriet stumbled over her words.

She had felt quite awkward around Johnny since he had kissed her earlier on that day. Now she had to share a room with him, which meant that he would _always _be there. She couldn't escape him, just like when she was fifteen. Johnny nodded as if he could read her thoughts.

"I could take the camp bed," said Johnny, changing the subject, "peach is not really my colour!"

He pointed at the peach-coloured bed sheets on the queen-sized bed. Harriet nodded and sat down, swinging her legs back and forth. Suddenly, the lights flickered. Harriet got up and left the room. Just outside the elevator, she spotted Reed and Victor arguing. Ben came in and broke it up and Victor left.

Everyone had gathered round to watch Johnny's test. He was in a small chamber and Reed was instructing him to use his power a little bit at a time so he could evaluate him.

"He's heating up from his core," said Reed in amazement.

"And his vitals are completely normal," said Sue.

"He's hot!" exclaimed Harriet.

Reed and Sue stared at her, both of them smirking. Harriet fumbled with her hair and pointed at the computer.

"Heat-wise," she added.

"Okay, Johnny back it down!" said Reed after looking at the computer.

"I can go hotter!" shouted Johnny, heating up.

"Johnny just back it down!" snapped Sue.

Harriet leapt down the steps and sprinted around the chamber, again creating a vortex. At the same time, Reed set off the fire extinguishers. Both of them successfully put out the fire and Johnny looked up at them. He was covered in nothing but foam.

"You guys are cramping my style!" laughed Johnny.

Harriet smiled slightly and focused on the foam around her feet.

"Johnny, you were at 4000 Kelvin!" said Sue, "Any hotter and you're approaching supernova!"

"Sweet!" exclaimed Johnny.

Harriet scoffed, "No genius, not sweet! That's the temperature of the sun!"

Reed butted in, "Not only could you kill yourself, but you could set fire to Earth's atmosphere and destroy all human life as we know it."

Johnny nodded, "Got it. Supernova: bad."

Harriet laughed at his 'thumbs up' actions. Johnny stuck his tongue out and threw some foam at her. She glared at him but he just smiled sweetly.

* * *

Harriet's test took place on some sort of treadmill. They had decided that having her run around a track could create a very strong vortex so the treadmill was the safer option.

"Okay now Harri, start off slow and gradually gain speed," instructed Reed.

Sue was fiddling with the computer whilst Johnny never took his eyes off Harriet. He was thinking back to the day when he had read her diary. He had never told Harriet but that was one of the best days of his life – finding out that his best friend felt the same feeling that he was. The problem was that he didn't know how to handle it at the time. To be honest, he still had no clue on what to do. He knew that Harriet still liked him. He felt something for her too, though he wasn't used to feeling such strong emotions. So he flirted with her and teased her, just like a child would. Maybe he should ask Sue for advice.

Harriet ran as fast as she could. It was difficult running on the spot, but she was determined to run faster. Without warning she went flying off the treadmill and crashing into the wall behind her. Johnny rushed down to help her up, Reed and Sue following him.

"I'm so sorry Harri," sighed Reed, "I had to stop the treadmill. You were approaching the speed of light!"

Harriet smiled, "Cool! Wouldn't that mean that when I stopped running, all of you will be years older than me?"

Reed nodded.

Johnny looked panicked, "I don't want to be old!"

"Who knows, maybe you will finally become a mature adult," said Harriet, still smiling. However, her smile was wiped off her face with Johnny's next sentence.

"But sweetie, if I became old, how would we get married and have three kids named Lacy, Jamie and Samantha?"

Sue and Reed stood there in shock. Harriet, however, was fuming. He had just quoted what he had read in her diary so many years ago. She remembered that part vividly, where she had written about her future with Johnny Storm. Although, she thought it was sweet that he had remembered the details, she was mad at the fact that he had said it whilst Sue and Reed were there. She realised that there was no escape from this awkward situation. Even if she ran to their room and got through the door ages before him, Johnny had a key. Ben was sulking in his room so she decided to stay away from him. Sue and Reed were just staring at her like a pair of goldfish. Harriet fiddled with her hair.

"Maybe we should move onto Sue's tests now?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel, etc**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 6:

Harriet was in her space uniform or as Johnny called it, her superhero costume. She joined everyone in the living room as Reed explained how the costumes worked.

"Our uniforms were exposed to the storm, like us," Reed said, examining Ben's uniform and handing it to Sue, "so they can transform like us. Becoming invisible, changing size, withstanding high speeds or remaining impervious to flame."

Ben laughed, "You guys look like an eighties rock band!"

Sue offered to change Ben's suit from him when Johnny snuck up behind Harriet.

"You are so hot!" he whispered in her ear.

Harriet rolled her eyes and pushed him away, "No, that's you, Torchie!"

"Torchie? Ah, it's cool but I prefer the Human Torch. Sounds more...manly!" said Johnny, following her.

Harriet sighed and tried to ignore him. That proved difficult as he kept performing super-hero poses in the mirror behind her.

"I love these costumes!" said Johnny excitedly, "They're missing something, though. Needs, like, spice."

Harriet laughed, "Like what? Paprika?"

Johnny stuck his tongue out at her as Reed butted in.

"They're not costumes."

"You can't use your powers in public, Johnny." Sue said.

"You guys are worse than NASA." Johnny moaned.

"Maybe it's missing a utility belt," chuckled Ben.

"Don't put ideas in his head!" sighed Harriet, sitting down opposite him.

Sue turned to Harriet, "I'm going out later, for some fresh air. Do you want to come?"

"Sure, don't tell Johnny though. He'll want to come too and _that_ could be dangerous."

* * *

Sue and Harriet had been walking for a while, looking in shop windows at clothes that they couldn't afford and discussing anything that came to mind.

"So what's going on with you and Johnny?" asked Sue.

"Nothing is going on," said Harriet, admiring her shoelaces.

"Oh come on," said Sue, "the kiss on the bridge, the flirting and your future children! What's all that about?"

"The children thing was from the diary incident. You remember?"

"Of course, how could I forget?" said Sue nodding, "Johnny was so happy that day."

"What?" asked Harriet.

"Well, he was just so happy that you both felt the same way. Didn't he tell you that?"

Harriet blinked, "No! He never said anything! He just teased me and flirted as usual."

Sue shook her head, "That boy _never_ listens to anything I say. I told him to tell you. I just figured that you both wanted to stay friends rather than a couple."

Harriet sighed sadly and looked down.

"You still like him," said Sue, "and it's clear that he still has feelings for you. You should talk to him about it."

"I can't," stated Harriet, "you know what he's like. We'll start dating and then he'll run off with another girl, probably a nurse or something, and neither of us would want to see each other ever again!"

"He wouldn't do that to you. He cares about you too much."

Harriet was about to respond when she noticed something on the newspaper stand next to them. There were tons of magazines with pictures of her and Johnny holding hands. She took it off the stand and threw some money on the table. Flicking through it, she found more and more pictures of them together and captions saying things like _'Johnny Storm and Harriet Appleby: the first couple out of the Fantastic 5?'_ and _'Could the relationship between these two mean the end of the Fantastic 5?'_ Harriet screamed in frustration and noticed Sue looking at some of the other magazines. One of them had a picture of Sue in the front and the question, _'Who is she working for now?'_ Sue gasped and a crowd of people gathered around them both.

"Look! It's Sue Storm! The Invisible Woman!" exclaimed one man.

"Oh and Harriet Appleby: the super-fast girl. My kid loves you both!" said a woman with brown hair.

Harriet turned to Sue, "I'll meet you at home!" they both said. Harriet ran off while Sue abandoned her clothes and turned invisible.

Harriet rushed inside the building and into the apartment, running into Johnny. They both fell to the ground and the magazine that Harriet had in her hand was now sitting between them.

"Are you okay? What happened?" asked Johnny, picking up the magazine and helping Harriet to her feet.

"Crazy crowds. Sue will be here soon. Can I have that back?" she asked, pointing to the magazine.

"Hang on, you don't read these magazines. You do crossword puzzles." Johnny said, flicking through the magazine.

He stopped on a page with their picture and a heart around it. Harriet groaned and tried to snatch the magazine back but Johnny held it out of her reach.

"We need to talk about this!" said Johnny.

"No we don't, just give it back!" snapped Harriet.

"Harri, calm down. Look, I know how you feel...well you're in denial at the moment but you have to admit it. You can't change the fact that..."

Harriet ran off to their room. She noticed Ben just outside and pulled him in the room too.

"Do you want me to sit against the door?" asked Ben.

Harriet nodded and sat next to him on the floor.

Johnny banged on the door repeatedly but failed to push it open. He sighed and slid down the door with his face in his hands. Reed walked by.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Johnny pushed the magazine towards Reed, who raised an eyebrow at the pictures.

"Maybe you should..." started Reed but Johnny held up a hand to silence him.

"Please don't give me relationship advice after you've messed things up with my sister!" snapped Johnny.

He got up and sat in the living room where a confused looking Sue sat next to him.

"I guess you saw the magazine?" she asked.

Johnny nodded, "She won't listen to me. I'm trying to talk to her but she won't admit her feelings to me so why should I admit mine to her?"

"She's worried that you'll run off with another girl, which, to be honest, is a fair assessment. Maybe you should show her how much she means to you. As cliché as it sounds, actions speak louder than words."

Johnny sighed and put his head back on the sofa. Soon after, the siblings fell asleep. Reed walked in, still in shock from Johnny's outburst. He walked straight to the lab to work on his ideas.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel, etc**

**This is a lengthy chapter. Enjoy.**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 7:

Harriet woke up with an ache in her neck; that's what happens when you use a rock for a pillow. She woke up Ben and the headed to the kitchen. Reed and Sue were already there, sipping coffee and enjoying bowls of fruit. Ben began to squeeze some orange juice into a bowl whilst Harriet leaned against the counter and helped herself to a glass of water. It was very peaceful until Johnny walked in. He was wearing some comfy jogging trousers, which Harriet had to admit, looked _very_ cute on him.

"All right, I'm here, let's make this quick. I got a lot of places to go today." Johnny said, snatching the bowl of orange juice from Ben, "Oh wait. I don't go anywhere."

Harriet frowned and snatched the bowl from him, handing it back to Ben.

"Johnny, it's imperative that we stay inside for the foreseeable future," said Reed.

"I know, but when you said that last time, my brain heard 'a week'."

"Johnny, it's too dangerous for you to be out in public." Sue sighed.

Harriet laughed, "She's been saying that for years."

"What worries me is that our powers are evolving." Reed explained.

"What's wrong with that? I like my powers!" said Harriet.

"Yeah! I like my powers too! I am so close to flying, guys, I can taste it!" said Johnny, throwing a napkin on the table and accidentally setting it on fire.

Sue scoffed, "You can't fly!"

"Yet."

"Johnny, can you put that napkin out?"

Johnny patted the napkin, only making things worse. Harriet poured her glass of water over it.

"Thank-you," said Johnny, "I'll get you another glass of water."

Harriet eyed him suspiciously as he refilled her glass and handed it back to her.

"How're you going to cure us?" asked Ben.

"I don't want to be cured!" cried Harriet.

"Me neither!" agreed Johnny.

Everyone ignored them and looked at Reed. He picked up a diagram and explained, "I'm going to build a machine to recreate the storm. The cosmic rays will travel from this generator to this chamber."

"What, no pop-ups?" asked Johnny.

"If I can reverse the wave signal..."

"It'll return us back to normal." Ben smiled.

"But what are the risks?" asked Sue, examining the diagram.

"Even a small miscalculation could increase our symptoms exponentially-"

"Cool!" interrupted Harriet.

"- or perhaps even kill us."

"Not so cool," sighed Harriet.

"Now, dying. That's bad, right?" said Johnny, mockingly, "I say we just let sleeping dogs lie, guys."

Harriet nodded and sat on the counter as Johnny sat on a chair around the table.

"So how long till this contraption is up and running?" asked Ben.

Reed shrugged, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" asked Ben in shock.

"Ben, calm down," said Harriet.

"You don't want it to get worse." Reed replied.

"Worse than that?" laughed Johnny.

Harriet scowled at the back of Johnny's head and threw the rest of her water over him. He spun round as the water sizzled and steam came off his body.

Harriet smiled, "Cool!"

Johnny frowned as Ben chuckled.

"Guys, look we're gonna be stuck here for a while, so let's just try and get along." Sue said in a motherly tone.

* * *

Harriet looked at the description of the last word for her crossword puzzle.

"Four letter word, opposite of hate," she sighed and immediately threw the puzzle on the floor in anger.

There was knock on the bedroom door and in walked Johnny, with a can of whipped cream and a feather duster.

Harriet frowned at him, "What do you want?"

Johnny ignored her angry tone, "Ben's asleep," he said, waving around the objects in his hands, "come on, I know that you're bored too."

Harriet rolled her eyes and smiled, following him out the door and to the living room where Ben was asleep on the sofa. She took the can from Johnny and squirted the cream into Ben's hand. She joined Johnny round the back of the sofa and stifled a giggle as he stroked Ben's face with the feathers. Ben didn't even notice.

"He's a rock, Johnny," whispered Harriet, "use the handle."

Johnny nodded in realisation and stroked Ben's face with the handle. Much to their disappointment, Ben used his clean hand to wave away the pesky intruder. Johnny and Harriet looked at each other annoyed. Harriet snatched the duster from Johnny's hands and did it herself. Ben's other hand went flying up and _SPLAT!_ He had whipped cream all over his face. Johnny put his hands up in triumph. Harriet grabbed his arm and sprinted out of the room to avoid the wrath of Ben. Footsteps could be heard down the corridor. They rushed back to their room and hid under Harriet's bed. They saw Ben's feet enter the room. Harriet had forgotten that she still had the feather duster in her hand and it tickled Johnny's nose. She looked over at him. He was about to sneeze. She put her hand over his face as Ben left the room. They sighed and burst into fits of laughter, Harriet hitting her head on the bottom of the bed.

* * *

Reed had gathered a group of scientists to help him work on the machine. Sue and Ben were in their rooms. Harriet decided to join Johnny in the living room and watch television. She flicked through the channels as Johnny went to get some popcorn. He came back in and threw a bottle of water at her and made the popcorn in his hand. Harriet stopped it on a sports channel that was showing the X games, as she knew that Johnny loved to watch all of the cool stunts that the guys did on their bikes.

Johnny leaned back on the sofa, "I got to get out of here. I can do so much better than those guys."

Harriet stared at Johnny then looked down at her bottle of water. She knew that everyone would be mad at him for going out, but she couldn't sit there and watch Johnny becoming more miserable by the second.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" she said, pulling him up of the sofa.

"Wait, seriously?" asked Johnny in disbelief.

Harriet nodded and searched her wardrobe for her costume to put under her clothes. Johnny put on his costume and they snuck out, taking the stairs as there were less people there. They slid into Johnny's car and sped off towards the arena where the X games were taking place. On the way there, a guy pulled up next to them.

"Hey pretty boy, let's see what you got," he growled, "where's your hot sister and the monster?"

Harriet glared at the guy whilst Johnny hung his arm out of the window. Harriet could smell something burning. She raised her eyebrow at Johnny who nodded as they sped off, leaving the guy with melted tyres. Harriet cheered as Johnny laughed.

"You're in a better mood today," said Johnny.

Harriet nodded and smiled, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"It's nice to see you smiling again," he added.

Harriet grinned, blushed and turned back to the road as they pulled up outside the arena. They walked through, looking around for where the bikes were. Once they found one, Harriet helped Johnny get suited up and they headed towards the big ramp. The announcer noticed them and ran over to the two.

"Wow Johnny Storm and Harriet Appleby!" he said in amazement, "What a pleasure to meet you!"

They both smiled and shook his hand.

"So Johnny, I guess you're gonna have a go?"

"Yeah, if that's okay?" replied Johnny.

"Sure, follow me,"

Harriet grabbed Johnny's arm and pulled him back.

"Be careful, Johnny," she said, looking deep into his eyes.

Johnny nodded and kissed her on the cheek, "Don't worry about me, Harri. I'll be fine."

"All right," cheered the announcer, "I want you all to make a lot of noise now for a very special guest: Mr. Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Five!"

Harriet was standing next the announcer and watched nervously as Johnny sped up the ramp.

"Whoa! Look at that lift! That was fantastic!" exclaimed the announcer, "But Johnny, come on. That's old school. Show us something new."

Harriet bit her lip anxiously. Johnny looked over at her and gave her a 'thumbs up' sign. She smiled and waved. Johnny sped up the ramp again, let go of his bike and performed a few somersaults. He then realised that he was too far away from his bike and panicked. Harriet tugged on her hair worriedly. Johnny lit himself on fire and flew towards his bike.

"Is he flying?" yelled the announcer.

Harriet smiled widely and squealed, "Go on Johnny!"

Unfortunately, he had just missed his bike and went crashing to the ground. Harriet rushed over to him before any of the medics had even moved. She pulled off his helmet. Johnny blinked at her and smiled.

"That's dangerous!" he whispered to her.

Harriet laughed and hugged him. Johnny hugged her tightly as the medics arrived. He pulled away from her.

"I'm okay, I'm all right, I'm good."

They both got up as the crowd cheered.

"I have to give you props, Johnny!" yelled the announcer, "You were on fire!"

Johnny ripped off his suit to reveal his costume with a number five on it.

"Show them yours!" he said to Harriet, helping her take her jacket off. Harriet looked down at her costume and noticed the number five on hers. They gave each other a high five and Johnny wrapped his arm around Harriet, cheering.

A presenter came over to talk to them, "Johnny I've gotta ask you about this outfit!"

Johnny looked into the camera and tightened his grip round Harriet's shoulders, "Yeah, it's sort of Armani meets astronaut."

"So what are your superhero names?"

Harriet leaned towards the microphone, "Well Johnny is the Human Torch,"

"Yeah, Harri calls me Torchie." Johnny added.

Harriet smiled up at him.

"What's Harriet's name?"

Johnny looked at Harriet for a while and said, "Rapid, you know like rapid-speed."

"What about the rest of the team?"

A picture of Sue came up on a big screen.

"That's the Invisible Girl..." started Johnny.

Harriet elbowed him, "He means the Invisible Woman!"

She knew that Sue hated it when she was called a girl rather than a woman.

"What about your leader, Reed Richards. I hear you call him Mr. Fantastic."

"Leader? That's a strong word!" said Johnny.

"Is it true what they say about him that he can expand any part of his anatomy?"

"Ew!" exclaimed Harriet, burying her face in Johnny's shoulder.

Johnny chuckled, "Well I've always found him to be a little limp."

Harriet gasped and flicked Johnny's arm, "He's not gonna like that!" she whispered to him.

"What is that?" asked the presenter, pointing at a picture of Ben, "What do you call that thing?"

"Hey! _That_ is a human being and one of my best friends you're talking about!" snapped Harriet.

"_That_ is The Thing!" said Johnny, "Yeah, you think this is bad, you should have seen him before!"

Harriet looked at him, annoyed, "Sensitivity, Johnny!"

"I'm sorry, but what other name could we give him?" he asked her.

Harriet went quiet and Johnny grabbed her hand, pulling her outside, the crowd following them. They stopped at the edge of the road just as Harriet spotted the others charging towards them.

"Uh oh!" whispered Harriet, pointing towards them.

"Johnny!" called Sue.

"Can we talk about this later guys? Harriet and I are enjoying ourselves!" said Johnny.

"No we can't talk about this later. Harriet, I'm surprised at you!" snapped Sue.

"What? He was cooped up inside for ages, I think he needed a break."

"We can do this at home!" sang Johnny.

Sue glared at Harriet, "You're just doing this because you're in love with him!"

The crowd gasped and Harriet froze, glaring at Sue. Johnny pulled Harriet towards him and away from Sue.

"Where's my ride?" asked Johnny, desperate to protect Harriet from the curious bystanders.

Suddenly, a ball of red metal flew to the ground in front of them. Harriet clutched Johnny's arm as he marched towards it. The license plate flew towards Johnny's head, but Harriet knocked it out of the way before it hit him. Johnny looked round to see who threw it and saw Ben.

"You think that's funny, Pebbles?" Johnny shouted.

Harrite pulled him backwards, "Come on let's go home."

Johnny continued to charge forward.

"Johnny!" yelled Sue.

"What?"

"You gave us names? You don't think!" snapped Sue.

"What? We need names! We're superheroes!" stated Harriet coldly.

Sue ignored her and continued, "So now you're the face of the Fantastic Five?"

"A face that's about to be broken!" yelled Ben.

Harriet rushed over to him and tried to push him away, "Ben come on, calm down."

Ben pushed her aside and charged towards Johnny. Harriet growled at Ben and stood behind Johnny angrily.

"Look, this isn't permanent, Johnny," said Reed, "We need to be careful until we're normal again."

"We don't want to be normal, don't you understand that?" shouted Harriet.

"Yeah!" agreed Johnny, "I didn't turn into a monster!"

"Johnny!" Harriet groaned.

Ben attempted to punch Johnny but stopped at the sound of the gasping crowd.

"Johnny, say you're sorry!" said Sue.

Harriet nodded, despite the fact that she was angry at Ben for pushing her. However, Johnny ignored them both and threw a fireball at the back of Ben's head. Ben turned around angrily as Johnny threw another fireball at him.

"That's it, Tinkerbell!" snarled Ben.

Sue and Harriet tried to calm everyone down. Reed stepped between the boys as Ben threw a punch. The punch went through Reed and hit Johnny into a Burger King poster. Harriet rushed over to Johnny and tried to pull him away from Ben. Johnny carried on charging towards him until Sue jumped between them and pushed them away from each other.

Johnny frowned, "Talk to blockhead, he started it!"

"I don't care!" said Sue, pointing her finger at Johnny. She stormed off to follow Ben.

Reed glared at Johnny, "You need to control yourself and think before you act."

"Yeah, but see, that's your problem: you always think, you never act!"

"Yeah,_ I_ always think and never act, that's why you and Harriet are living happily ever after with your three kids!" said Reed sarcastically.

Harriet stepped forward angrily, changing the subject, "What if we got these powers for a reason?"

"Yeah," said Johnny, "What if it's like some higher calling?"

"A higher calling? Like getting girls and making money?" asked Reed.

"Is there any higher?" said Johnny, immediately regretting it.

Harriet turned to look at him in disgust. She couldn't even bare to speak, so she stormed off, running as fast as she could to the Baxter building.

"Harri wait!" cried Johnny, now turning to Reed, "Look what you made me do!"

* * *

**A little bit of drama there. I might be able to get another chapter out tommorow...there's not much left to do.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel, etc**

**This is the penultimate chapter. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and/or reviewing.  
**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 8:

Harriet searched the cupboards in Reed's kitchen for her secret stash of vanilla fudge – it always made her feel better. She reached upwards as far as she could but couldn't reach.

"Need some help?" asked Reed, entering the kitchen.

"Thanks," croaked Harriet.

Reed stretched above the cupboard and handed Harriet the fudge.

"You've been crying," he said, "are you okay?"

Harriet frowned and nodded, "Don't you need to work on the machine?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd check on you first."

"I'm fine. Go and work on the machine, Ben needs it." Harriet said heading towards her room.

She lay down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, popping a piece of fudge into her mouth. After a few minutes, the soothing fudge and the comforting heat in the room made her drift off to sleep.

Loud voices were coming from the lab. Harriet could hear Ben and another guy, she couldn't figure out who. Worried that Johnny had annoyed Ben again, she rushed into the lab to find Ben and Reed fighting. Sue tried to stop them but neither of them listened as the fight got rougher. Eventually, Reed got Ben into some sort of headlock and Ben calmed down. He stepped away from Reed.

"Good thing you're flexible enough to watch your own back, 'cause I ain't doing it no more," he grumbled, "you're on your own."

With that said, Ben left. Sue, Reed and Harriet stared at each other awkwardly. Harriet looked at the floor.

"I'm going back to my room," said Harriet, turning to leave.

"Harri, I'm sorry," said Sue, "you know about blurting out..."

"Don't worry about it, Sue," replied Harriet, smiling weakly at her, "it's fine."

Sue rushed after Ben whilst Harriet headed towards her room. She walked slowly until she arrived next to the elevator. She decided to get some fresh air and took the elevator down to the lobby. There, she saw Sue arguing with Johnny. Johnny peered over Sue's shoulder to look at Harriet. He half-smiled at her and continued his conversation/argument with Sue. What Sue was saying was clearly hurting Johnny, but obviously only Harriet could see that as Sue continued to shout at him. Eventually Johnny walked away from Sue. Harriet ran after him and grabbed his arm just outside the building. Johnny turned to face her.

Harriet fiddled with her hair and asked, "Are you okay?"

Johnny sighed and nodded. He pulled Harriet into a hug. Harriet couldn't stop herself as she started to cry.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I hate upsetting you." sighed Johnny, as Harriet whimpered in his arms, "I don't mean to do it. I just don't know how to deal with these emotions."

Harriet smiled through her tears and buried her head into Johnny's chest. They stood in each other's arms for a while. Johnny bit his lip, peered down at the top of Harriet's head and closed his eyes.

"I love you," he whispered.

Johnny had stopped breathing, waiting for Harriet to say something. Anything. She pulled herself tighter into Johnny's arms.

"I-I..." she stumbled over her words, "love you too."

In that moment, she forgot about the fact that Johnny saw himself as a 'ladies man'. She forgot everything he had done to humiliate her and break her heart. In that moment, she realised just how much Johnny Storm meant to her and how much she meant to him. Johnny peered into Harriet's glistening eyes, leaned down and kissed her so passionately that he had to pick her up off the ground to stop her from falling. Harriet pulled away and smiled widely at Johnny.

"You've been eating vanilla fudge," said Johnny, putting her down and holding her hand, "come on, let's go and get some real food."

Harriet nodded and led the way to her Ferrari.

* * *

"What's with the lights?" asked Johnny as they left the restaurant.

All of the street lights and advertisements were flickering around them. Harriet thought for a second then widened her eyes in realisation.

"The machine!"

They rushed back to her car and sped off towards the Baxter building. Once they arrived in the lab they found Ben in his human form and Sue bent down next to him.

"Sue!" shouted Johnny.

Sue looked up at the couple and smiled, "Guys, the machine worked! Help me get him up."

They rushed over to help Ben to his feet. Harriet had to admit, she missed _The Thing _already.

"Are you all right Ben?" asked Johnny.

"Let's put him on the step," said Harriet as they sat him down.

"What happened, big guy?" asked Johnny, "I leave you for five minutes..."

Ben breathed heavily, "The machine. Vic used it on himself. He was affected by the cloud like us."

Sue looked around suddenly, "Where's Reed?"

"Vic must have taken him."

They all looked up at the smashed window. Harriet bit her lip as they walked out to the balcony beneath the window. A loud crashing sound came from behind them. Something had just exploded from Von Doom's building and was heading straight towards them. A missile. Sue looked at Johnny who looked down at himself, then towards Harriet apologetically.

"What?" she asked worriedly, "what's going on?"

Johnny looked over the edge of the building.

"We've gotta get out of here!" said Sue, pulling Harriet away from Johnny.

"I got an idea!" said Johnny.

"Don't even think about it!" snapped Sue.

Johnny turned around, pecked Harriet on the lips and replied, "Never do."

Harriet looked back and forth between them and realised what was happening. She gasped as Johnny leapt off the side of the building.

"Johnny no!" yelled Harriet and Sue, watching him fall.

About halfway down the building, Johnny burst into flames and flew away, leading the missile away from them. Harriet couldn't help but crack a small smile as she heard Johnny cheering.

"We have to help Reed!" said Ben from behind the girls.

They rushed over to him.

"It's too dangerous for you now, you have to stay here." Sue told him.

Harriet hugged Ben and rushed ahead of Sue. As Harriet sprinted out of the Baxter building, she heard an explosion out in the water.

"I'm gonna find Johnny, you find Reed!" she yelled at Sue who ran in the opposite direction.

Harriet rushed off the docks and onto the water. She chuckled to herself as she realised that she could actually run on the water. She sprinted out towards a flaming rubbish barge and circled round it, calling Johnny's name. She heard someone splutter and cough a few meters away and rushed over to find Johnny treading water. She stopped running, falling into the water herself and hugged Johnny.

Johnny laughed then shook his head, "Did you _run_ out here? You can run on water?"

Harriet grinned and nodded.

"That's so cool!" exclaimed Johnny, waving his arms around and sinking into the water slightly.

Harriet pulled him back up.

"I have to get you out of the water, this can't be good for you," said Harriet, "climb on my back, I'm sure that I can swim as fast as I can run."

Johnny wrapped his arms around Harriet's neck as she swam them both back to the docks in record time. Once out of the water, Johnny 'flamed on'.

"We have to find the others!" said Harriet, "Follow me."

Harriet sprinted away whilst Johnny flew after her, keeping an eye out for Von Doom.

"Harri, that way! At the intersection!" shouted Johnny once he spotted the others.

"See you there!" replied Harriet speeding up.

She spotted Von Doom in the centre of the intersection and ran into him, knocking him off his feet slightly.

"Ah, Harriet," he sneered, "nice of you to join us. It's a shame your precious boyfriend isn't here-"

A fireball flew into Von Doom's face at that moment and Johnny landed proudly next to Harriet.

"You missed me." Johnny said casually to Von Doom.

Ben stood up and Johnny peered over at him.

"Had a little relapse, huh?" he asked him, "Welcome back."

Von Doom butted in, "This is gonna be fun."

He summoned electricity from the surrounding buildings and shot bolts of it at each member of the Fantastic Five. Harriet managed to dodge it. Sue blocked hers with a shield.

"I can't hold it!" she cried.

Reed threw a small mailbox at Von Doom whilst Harriet rushed Sue out of the way. Reed then formed a blanket and covered the villain.

"Johnny," he shouted, "supernova!"

"I thought we agreed that was bad!" said Johnny.

"Now!" yelled Reed.

Johnny flew upwards above Von Doom as Ben pulled Reed away. Johnny flew around Von Doom creating a huge wall of fire.

"Sue, Harri! Do you think you can contain it?" asked Reed.

Sue created a shield whilst Harriet ran around, stopping the fire from escaping. Harriet felt herself tiring, as did Sue. Both women used every ounce of energy that they could to contain the flames. Harriet burnt her arm a few times when she got too close. Eventually, Johnny stopped and went tumbling away from the scene. Sue stopped her shield and Harriet slowed down, coming to a stop next Johnny and collapsing on the ground in exhaustion. Johnny snaked his arm around Harriet's shoulders as Von Doom spoke.

"Is that the best you can do? A little heat?"

"Time for your lesson. Chem 101," announced Reed, "what happens when you rapidly cool hot metal?"

Ben kicked the top off a fire hydrant and Reed shouted for him. Ben bent the hydrant so that the water squirted towards Reed who stretched himself out like a water slide and aimed the water at Von Doom. The villain froze in his position as Ben stopped the water.

Ben approached Johnny and Harriet.

"You done good, guys," he said to them, "come on."

The couple smiled at each other and followed Ben. Reed helped Sue to her feet. The five stood together as the crowd that had gathered started cheering.

"Man, I love this job," said Johnny, holding Harriet's hand and patting Reed on the back.

Ben spun around, "Job, huh?"

Harriet smiled as Reed said, "Well, we _do_ have the suits."

The crowd cheered louder and the five smiled at them, though Johnny bowed at the applause. Harriet laughed at him and hugged him tightly, glad that they all were safe, and her and Johnny were now together.

* * *

**One more chapter to go!! Just to let you know, I will be writing a sequel based on _The Rise of the Silver Surfer_ but I might start a new story first.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four, Marvel etc.**

**This is just a short chapter to finish off.  
**

Rapid-Fire

Chapter 9:

The last place Harriet wanted to be was on a boat – she got seasick. But the people of the city had decided to throw the Fantastic Five a 'thank-you' party so she couldn't refuse. She was standing outside, leaning over the rail and keeping her eyes on the horizon to stop the motion sickness from kicking in. A warm hand landed on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" asked Johnny, standing next to her.

"Tired and dizzy," sighed Harriet.

"Well, as soon as we see Reed's surprise, we can go home...you could run us back, right?" Johnny asked, smiling.

Harriet smiled and followed Johnny through the boat and to the other side where a crowd had gathered to watch Reed and Sue on the deck. Harriet grinned as she saw Reed get down on one knee and ask Sue to marry him. Johnny hugged her as Sue said 'yes'. The engaged couple kissed and the crowd sighed happily.

As the crowd dispersed, Ben leaned over to Johnny, "Hey, no more wisecracks about the way I look."

"Hey," said Johnny softly, "call me Mr. Sensitivity."

Harriet raised an eyebrow, not believing Johnny one bit. Her thoughts were confirmed when he dragged her through the crowd.

"Okay. Wide load coming through. Everybody move, he's huge."

Ben stomped after them angrily.

"Are you up for a bit of running?" asked Johnny as they jumped off the edge of the boat.

"Meet you at Reed's place!" shouted Harriet.

Harriet rushed across the water, giggling when she saw the number five on fire in the air.

* * *

The Baxter building was empty when she arrived, so she decided to get some packing done. She had agreed with Johnny that they would move back into their apartment, which wasn't too far away. Johnny soon joined her. He hated packing. He watched as Harriet rushed around the room, throwing things into her bag and zipping it shut before he could find his own bag. Harriet smiled and packed Johnny's things for him. They left the building and Harriet threw her bag into her car. Johnny was about to do the same when Harriet stopped him.

"You're not going in my car," she said, smirking.

Johnny looked at her in shock, "How am I supposed to get home? I'm not flying there!"

Harriet pointed across the street at a red Ferrari. Johnny's jaw dropped as he was led over to it.

"No way!" he said excitedly, examining the shiny new vehicle and the license plates that said '_Torchie'_.

"You did this?" he asked, throwing his bag inside.

Harriet nodded, "Ben helped. He felt bad for crushing your old car. You know, he may be a rock, but his heart is definitely not made out of stone."

Johnny kissed her on the forehead, "That was so cheesy, but very sweet. Thank-you, Harri. I love you."

Harriet hugged him tightly, "I love you too. See you back at the apartment."

Johnny nodded and waved as Harriet sped off in her car. He chuckled to himself.

"_That_ is my future wife,"

He sighed and drove off after her.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone who has been reading/reviewing. I can't believe that I've finished this so quickly! I thought It would take me months! I will be writing the sequel soon but I might start a new story first. Thank-you again for reading.**


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